This archive report was first published on 17 June 2020.
On World Turtle Day, June 16, 2020, Tourism and Wildlife Cabinet Secretary Najib Balala visited Watamu in Kilifi County to celebrate the conservation efforts of local groups.
Speaking at the Bio Ken Snake Farm, Balala praised the conservation groups for saving over 20,000 turtles through their efforts.
He noted that the Ministry of Tourism and Wildlife would support the conservation groups in their efforts to protect wildlife in the marine ecosystem, particularly the endangered turtles.
‘We want to support them because they are doing a great job working with the Kenya Wildlife Service (KWS) in terms of security and cleanliness and manning the marine park to prevent illegal fishing and hunting of important marine animals and turtles,’ Balala said.
He emphasized the importance of community participation in marine conservation, stating that the government could not do it alone.
‘Although it is the government’s responsibility to conserve marine life, it would be futile to do so without community participation,’ Balala said.
He also announced that the Ministry was drafting a new five-year Turtle Strategy and protocols to enhance the conservation of endangered marine creatures.
‘The previous strategy expired in 2015 and we are developing a new one which we expect to be ready in August this year,’ Balala said.
During his visit, Balala also visited the Eco-World Organization in Dabaso ward, where the Watamu Turtle Watch and its partners were collecting used plastic bottles and recycling them into souvenirs and other important items.
‘We are very impressed with this project because it is helping to keep the marine environment clean,’ Balala said.
